


Relapse

by QueenOfArts



Category: Queen Sugar (TV)
Genre: Addiction, Custody Battle, Drama, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Drugs, F/M, Family, Family Issues, Recreational Drug Use, Relapsing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 02:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9360881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfArts/pseuds/QueenOfArts
Summary: Ralph Angel notices Darla is acting different, and he becomes concerned, hoping she didn't relapse.Something for the Ralph Angel lovers.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I actually posted this story once before, but I didn't let it stay up long. I deleted it because I wasn't too confident in it. :(  
> I'm going to keep it up this time....hope you enjoy! :)

It's been months since Aunt Vi turned over her rights of Blue back to Ralph Angel, and he's been on the right path ever since. He's been busy working the farm most days, and other days, two nights out the week, he works part time at "The High Yella" to bring in extra income. Blue is doing good in school, healthy, and just a normal happy child. He's real happy these days that his mom and dad are back together, living under one roof as a family. At first, things were going good between Darla and Ralph Angel: Darla was working full time, taking Blue to school, helping him with his homework, and being a good mother like she should, and a good girlfriend, but lately Ralph Angel noticed a change in Darla, some questionable changes.

 

* * *

 

_6:30 pm: Ralph Angel was fixing dinner, Darla arrives home from work, later than usual._

"Darla, where you been? This is the 4th time you got home late from work in the past two weeks. What's going on with ya?"

"Oh, I had to stay over, my boss wanted me to help the other shift with something. He's been a real asshole lately"

"You said that last week too, but I seen no overtime on your check, I looked at your stubs. Where's the money Darla?"

"He paid me under the table for those hours, don't worry about it. And see, I stopped by the store to pick up a few groceries for dinner, and I even got this new book for Blue. Where is he?"

"He in his room working on his homework"

"I'll go check on him"

"He should be about finished now, don't worry him, and I already got started on dinner, don't worry about that it either."

Darla stood there with her head down feeling guilty and ashamed for not coming home right after work, knowing the real reason for her being late....

Ralph Angel called for Blue, "Blue, wash your hands and come get your food.

"Okay Pop", Blue shouted.

When Blue entered the kitchen, he saw Darla and ran to her to give her a hug. "Hey Ma"

"Hey baby, look what I got you!" Darla pulled out the book she bought him.

"Cool! Thanks Ma!"

"You're welcome sweetie, we'll read it together before bed okay?"

Ralph Angel already fixed plates for him and Blue, and was seated at the table. "Blue, come eat your food. Darla you can fix yours."

Darla could tell that Ralph Angel wasn't too happy with her, but she ignored his attitude, fixed her plate, and joined them at the table. All three were eating in silence, until Darla spoke up to address Blue.

"How was your day at school today, Blue?"

"It was fun, Ms. Velez read to us, and showed us how to write our names in cursive."

"She did?" My big boy is growing up!"

Ralph Angel cut in, "That reminds me, we have a parent-teacher conference with Ms. Velez on Friday. I scheduled it for 5:30 after school, so you could be able to come. Can you make it? If not, I'll see if Aunt Vi can fill in for you."

"Yes, I'll be there", Darla said, with her eyes looking shifty, avoiding eye contact with him. She didn't want him to see her slightly blood shot eyes, and dilated pupils.

Ralph Angel noticed, "Darla, you good?"

"Yes I'm fine, just kinda tired from working those extra hours. She exhaled, "Well I'm full, thats it for me. I think I'm gonna go take a hot shower and freshen up." She got up and put her plate and dishes in the sink. "Blue, when I'm done I'll be in your room to read to you, okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

Ralph Angel noticed Darla was acting different, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt. and took her at her word that she was working extra hours and was tired. He found it hard to believe she would go back to that stuff (drugs). _"Nah, she came too far for that",_ he thought. He left it alone, and got up to wash the dishes and put away the few groceries that Darla brought home.

* * *

 

 

Friday was here, and it was the day of the parent-teacher conference. Since that night 4 days ago, that Darla was late, she made an effort to do better. She was coming home right after work, in time to help Blue with homework, fix dinner, and have some quality time with Ralph Angel.

Ralph Angel was in the parking lot of the school. It 4:50 pm and he knew Darla got off at 5, so he sent her a text reminding her about the conference.

Ralph Angel: _"Hey Darla, just a reminder about the conf at 5:30, seeya when you get here."_

Her job was only 10 minutes from the school, so he knew it wouldn't take long for her to show up. 5:20 pm and she still wasn't there, so he called but didn't get an answer, so he decided to leave her a voicemail. He went ahead and walked in the school to be on time, he'll just see Darla when she get here, if she gets here, but he had a bad feeling....

It was now 5:30 and RA and Ms. Velez was in the classroom waiting to get started.

"Thanks for being here Ralph Angel, will Darla be joining us?"

"She's supposed to, but go ahead and get started", he said, glancing back at the door, shaking his head.

"Should we call your Aunt Violet to come sit in with us?", Ms. Velez asked.

"Nah, no need to worry Aunt Vi, you can get started."

The conference went on for about twenty minutes. Ms. Velez had a good report on Blue. He's making good grades, a respectful student, and has good behavior. Darla never showed up and Ralph Angel was pissed. Blue was playing in the play room down the hall while he was in the conference.

"Blue come on, lets go"

"Where's Mama?"

"That's a good question, I don't know son. Hey, how about I drop you off to Aunt Vi's, would you like that?"

"Sure Pop!"

Ralph Angel took Blue to Vi's because he didn't want Blue to be home when Darla showed up, he would have a few choice words for her. When they got to Vi's house, Blue went running inside.

"Auntie Vi, Auntie Vi"

"Hey baby, what you doing here?" Aunt Vi picked Blue up in her arms and gave him a big hug.

RA came in the house, "Hey Aunt Vi, can Blue stay here for a few hours?"

"Sure baby, everything alright?"

"Its Darla, she didn't show up to the PT conference, and she's been off work, so I don't know where she is, she said she would be there. I got a text from her while I was on the way over here, saying she worked late again, and she'll be home soon. She's been doing this alot lately."

"Doing what?', Vi questioned.

"Coming home late after work, she claim she been working overtime. I don't know Aunt Vi."

Violet told Blue to go in the room to play, before she continued on. "You don't reckon she's back in that stuff, do you?"

"I'm starting to question it more and more. Her eyes were red the other night, but she said she was tired, she could barely look me in the eyes."

"Oh no Ralph Angel, that don't sound right. You need to confront her, if you don't then I will. We're not going through that again. If she using, she need to get up out your house, and seek some help."

"Calm down, calm down, let me handle it. I gotta go, I'll pick Blue up later on, if not, then in the morning."

"Okay baby, call me if you need me."

When RA got back to the house, Darla came in soon afterwards, bursting through the doors.

"Ralph Angel, I'm so sorry, my boss___"

Ralph Angel cut her off, "Save it Darla! I don't wanna hear it, you knew about this days ago, you said you were gonna be there."

"I told you, I had to work."

"What's more important? Family right? I'm trying to give you a chance to be a better parent, to make up for loss time, but you keep pulling these stunts."

"You want me to get fired?"

"See, thats the thing, were you even at work? Look me in my eyes, and tell me the truth."

Darla tensed up, again avoiding eye contact, because she knew RA was on to her. The truth was, she wasn't working late all those days, she was going to a friend's house after work to smoke marijuana, nothing else. She didn't want the stench to get on her clothes and she didn't want to get fully high, so she only took a few puffs, each time she was there. Being 100% clean was hard, she was slowly drifting back to her old ways.

"Yes, I was at work, you have to trust me!"

"Look me in my eyes, why your eyes blood shot, huh?" He got closer to her and started to smell her, "and what's that smell on you, huh?"

"What, I've been working all day, I'm just sweaty that's all, just drop it."

"Smells like weed to me, you been getting high? Answer me!"

Darla started crying, "Nooo I haven't, I'm clean."

Ralph Angel grabbed her purse off her shoulders, and went plundering through it.

"Gimme my purse!", Darla shouted. She tried to grab it but he shoved her out the way. Ralph Angel found a small rolled blunt in the inside zip of her purse. He pulled it out and got in her face, he was furious.

"What is this shit? You bringing this shit in my house!? Around my son?" Tears were in his eyes.

Darla was bawling, "I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I'm clean, its only some weed,"

"Only weed?" What if your job give you a piss test, and find that shit in your system, you'll be fired, then what? Not only that, then my parole officer gonna come to the house, thinking I'm on that shit, and they gonna take Blue. I just got custody back, and I'm not letting you or anybody get my son taken away from me.

"Ralph Angel, please forgive me. It's so hard, I'm trying, please."

"Darla, we can't be together no more, you using again."

"I'm not using, I'm not on the hard stuff anymore."

"Not yet, you already back smoking, soon you'll be sniffing that shit, I can't risk that. You need help, we gonna nip this in the bud now. Tomorrow, I'm gonna sign you up for outpatient treatment, I'm not having this. And after tonight, find else where to live."

"But RA, I have no where else to go."

"You still have your trailer, it didn't get damaged during the hurricane, don't play with me."

"So what about Blue? He's gonna have questions about me being gone."

"You should've though about that before you made your bad decisions. Don't worry him, Blue will be good."

"RA, please think about this."

"I thought about it, its a done deal! And you sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Ralph Angel! Ralph Angel!"

 

Ralph Angel ignored Darla, and went in his room and slammed the door.....


End file.
